Packing of pulverulent materials and the like



c. w. VOGT 3,227,351

PUKCKING OF PULVERULENT MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Jan. 4, 1966 3Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Jan. 24, 1956 INVENTOR C'Zarenae W V0 5 MyATTORNEYS PACKING 0F PULVERULENT MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Original FiledJan. 24, 1956 C. W. VOGT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 4, 1966 a ,fluL.

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Jan. 4, 1966 c. w. VOGT 3,227,351

PACKING OF PULVERULENT MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Original Filed Jan. 24,1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 INVENTOR Clarence W. V092? ZN ATTORNEYS PatentedJan. 4, 1966 3,227,351 PACKING F PULVERULENT MATERIALS AND THE LIKEClarence W. Vogt, Kettlecreek Road, We'st0n, Conn. Original applicationJan. 24 1956, Ser. No. 560,979, now Patent. No. 3,053,022, dated Sept.11, 1962. Divided and this application Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,111Claims. (Cl. 229-6) 1 This is a division of application Ser. No.560,979, filed Jan. 24, 1956, now Patent No. 3,053,022, granted Sept.11, 1962, which is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending applicationsSer. No. 556,158, filed Dec. 27, 1955 and Ser. No. 559,611, filed Jan.17, 1956.

This invention relates to the art of packaging and more particularly topulverulent materials and to the resulting individual packaged articlesof such materials as well as to the containers thereof.

As conductive to an understanding of the invention, it is noted that inpackaging for sale in grocery stores, such commodities as flour, pancakeor cake mixes, of small particlesize, generally pulverulent, when suchcommodities are sifted or poured into a receptacle such as a bag orcontainer, the interstitial spaces between the particles and the headroom resulting from the settling of the commodity after it is packed,results i n an overall package size,much larger than Would normally berequired if such interstitial spaces and head room were eliminated, withresultant need for greater shelf space and greater cost of packagingmaterials.

Furthermore, due to the adverse effect on certain materials, of the airWithits entrained water vapor collected in such interstitial spaces andhead room,vwide variation may occur in the shelf life of packages of thesame commodity thereby limiting the formulation of the materials thatcan thus be packaged.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a container orwrapper, which admits of ready charging with materials of the above typein desired compactness with 'a minmum of trapped air or interstitialspaces.

Another object is to provide a container or wrapper of the above typewhich facilitates opening thereof for removal of some or all of thecontents thereof and subsequent rescaling In this connection, thecontainers are filled by equipment utilizing a high pressure on thematerial in the magazine (and preferably a relatively low pressure inthe container to be filled) which material is delivered into.

the container through a relatively small orifice thus producirig a highvelocity through such orifice and a rapid progressive release ofinterstitial air which is removed during the compacting action of thematerial in the container, when the pressure thereon is suddenlyincreased and its velocity decreased to zero. This is to bedistinguished from packing operations where the material is compressedin a press.

More particularly, a filling head is provided which may be positioned insealing engagement with the mouth of the container to be charged, thehead beingprovided with a hopper or magazine having an outlet incommunication with the container. By means of a gas under pressureapplied to the material in the hopper, a charge of such material will beforced into the container to fill the latter in compacted form andsuitable vents are provided through'which. the air in the container maybe discharged,

such as'by suction which may be applied prior to and during the fillingof the container without loss of any of the material being forced intothe container. The resultant package thus formed will have a minimum ofinterstitial spaces and a minimum of volume for a given weight.

' several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the bottom portion of the filling equipmentin partially open position,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the bottom portion of the fillingequipment in closed position with the container in position.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container in open position,

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container in closedposition, taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a container according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in the illustrative embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, the equipment for forming packages of the abovetype comprises a mold 11 having a bottom portion 12 and a head portion13.

The bottom portion desirably has a pair of spaced parallel side walls14, 15 and end walls 16, 17 which define a rectangular cavity C intowhich the container 20 to be filled may be positioned.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom portion 12 may be constructed todefine a plurality of cavities C and to this end, the bottom portion 12has a floor 21 (FIGS.

ready insertion of the containers 20 to be filled and when I movedtogether to the position shown in FIG. 2, the rectangular cavities Cwill be formed so that the side and end walls 14, 16 and 16, 17 willsupport the corresponding surfaces of the container during the fillingoperations.

Each of the side and end walls 14, 15, 16 and 17 has a passageway 27extending through its top surface 28 as at 29 and through its innersurface as at 30 and said passageways are connected by a line 31 to ajunction 32. The floor 21 of the mold as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has aplurality of recesses 33 each aligned with an associated cavity C formedby the side'mernbers 23 and 24 i 3 37 of the plate 35 substantiallyflush with the corresponding surface of floor 21.

The floor 21 desirably has a plurality of passageways 38 extendingthrough the upper surface 37 thereof on each of the four sides of theassociated recess 33 and a plurality of passageways 41 which lead intothe recesses 33 as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The passageways 38 and 41are connected by lines 42 and 43 to junction 32.

As shown in FIG. 3, the junction 32 is connected by line 44 to the port45 of a selector valve 46. The valve 46" has an outer casing 47 and aninner rotatable valve member 48 which in one position will connect port45 to a port 51 which may be connected through a dust collector to avacuum pump (not shown) and in a second position will connect a port 52connected by line 53 to line 44, to a port 54 which leads to theatmosphere.

The head 13 of the mold 11 desirably comprises a substantiallyrectangular block 61 of length and width such that it may extend overthe side members 23, 24 when they are in closed position. Aifixed totheundersurface of block 61 as by bonding is a sheet 62 ofresilientmaterial illustratively of rubber, of dimensions such that its'end and side edges will cover the upper surfaces of the side and'endwalls 14, 15, 16, 1'7 of the mold when the latter is closed'to effect aseal in the manner hereinafter described.

The block 61 illustratively has a plurality of pairs of recesses 63therein, eachpair being adapted to be aligned with an associated cavityC in the mold when the'latter is closed. The recesses 63 are connectedby passageways 64- in the block 61 and thence by line 65 to the port 66'of a selector valve 67 which in one position may connect the port 66 toa port 68 connected to a source of pressure and in a second position mayconnect the port 66 to a port 69 which desirably is connected through adust collector (not shown) to a vacuum pump.

Positioned over each of the recesses 63 and secured to the 'block 61 isa perforated'plate 71, having a screen72 thereon having relatively fineopenings therethrough, the sheet 62 of resilient material havingopenings 73 to accommodate the plates and screens as is shown in FIG. 3.

The block 61 desirably has a plurality of annular hubs 75 on its topsurface which encompass an associated conical cavity 76in said block,the apex of each of said cavities having an opening 77 aligned with acorrespond ing opening 78 in sheet 62 which is positioned over anassociated cavity C in the bottom portion 12 when'the' mold is ready forfilling. I

Each of the hubs serves as the support for a magazine or hopper 79,illustratively a sleeve which may be charged in any suitable manner withthe comminuted or pulverulent material with which the package is to befilled and suitable means P are provided to apply a source of gas underpressure to the column of material in the magazines 79. If desired, asingle reservoir containing the material to be packaged can be connectedto the magazines or hoppers 79.

The head 13 is suitably mounted so that it may be moved verticallytoward and away from the top of the bottom portion 12 to permitinsertion into the bottom portion of the mold, of the containers to befilled.

A typical receptacle 20 for use with the equipment above described inthe preparation of packages of moldable, comminuted, pulverulent orother nonform-retaining material such as flour, powdered cake mixes,crust mixes, or the like is shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7.

Such receptacle 20 may comprise a rectangular container or box formedfrom cardboard, for example, and having end and side flaps 81, 82 and83, 84 at its top or mouth and its bottom respectively, extending fromits end walls 85'and side walls 86;

The container 20 when assembled for filling has its end flaps 83 foldedinwardly as shown in FIG. 5, said flaps 83 preferably being short so asto define a relatively large gap or space 87 therebetween. Extendingover the inwardly folded flaps 83 and bridging the space 87 is a porousmember or filter 91 having relatively fine openings therethrough andwhich preferably is a rectangular sheet of porous paper of the typegenerally used for wrapping bread, but which is uncoated with wax orsimilar material.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 5, the filter 91 is of substantially thesame length as the container 20 and is of greater width than the latterso as to extend beyond the side walls 86 thereof overthe adjacentportions of flaps 84. Although the filter 91 may be'affixed to the flaps83, 84 in any suitable manner, it is desirably secured thereto as bygluing or heat sealing." I I I v To fill the containers 20, the sidemembers 23, 24 are moved apart as indicated in FIG. 1 and a container 20with its bottom flaps 84 extending laterally outwardly is positioned ineach of the spaces defined between side walls 14, 15 and end walls 16,17 of the bottom portion 12. The side members 23, 24 are then movedtogether to define the cavities C and the containers will be retained inthe respective cavities'with the filters 9 1 positioned over the plates35 and with the" side flaps 84:

retained between the floor 21 and the bottom surfaces of side walls 14,15 as shown in FIG. 4. I

With the top flaps 81, 82 folded over the'top, the side and end walls14, 15 and 16,17 and with selector valve 46 in position to connect ports45' and 51 suction will be provided in lines 31, 42"and 43/ The suctionin line 31 will retain the flaps 81, 82 against thetop surfaces of walls14 to 17 and the side walls of the container against the inner surfaceof said walls 14m 17 and the suction in line'42 will retain the bottomflaps 84 against the floor 21 of the mold.'

The head 13 ofthe mold'is then positioned directly: over the bottomportion 12 and moved downwardly to 7 the positionsho'wn in FIGS/3 and'4so that'the portion of the resilient sheet62 which covers the topsurfaces 0f the side and end walls 14, 15, 16 and 17 will engage theout-folded flap 82, 81 of the container 20to provide a dependable seal.I V H With the selector value 67 in position to connect ports 66 and 69,suction will be applied through line 65 to recesses 63. As a result ofsuch suction and the suction applied to recesses 33 through line 43, theair in the container will rapidly be evacuated or discharged therefrom.'

Thereupon, with suction desirably maintained, gas under pressure isapplied to the column of pulverulent material in each of the magazines79 to force such material through thealigned openings 77, 78 into therespective containers. The gas is preferably dried before application tothe column of material so that any gas that should enter the containerwill have a minimum of water vapor. As such air entrained with thematerial will be removed through screen 72 and filter 91. However, asthe openings therein are sufficiently small to preclude the passagetherethrough of any of the material being forced into the container,substantially none of such material will escape into the suctionlines43, 65. Consequently the container is jet filled at high velocity (thecontainer being at least 1 after the vacuum in the container 20, due tothe suction applied thereto, reaches a predetermined amount.

After the container is charged, the gas pressure on the charges ofmaterial in the magazines 79 may be released and the selector valve 46is set to connect ports 52 and 54. Consequently,thepressureinsuctionlines 31, 42

and 43 and against flaps 81, 82 and 84 and in recesses 33 will rise toatmospheric to permit ready removal of the container. The selector valve67 may be set to connect ports 66 and 68 so that gas under pressure willbe applied to line 65 and through perforated plates 71 to blow away fromthe screen 72 against the compacted material in the container, anymaterial that may adhere thereto.

The head 13 is then moved away from the bottom portion 12 to permitremoval of the charged container. As the portion of the charge ofmaterial remaining in magazines 79 will also be compacted due to theaction of the gas pressure against the material in the conical cavities76, none of such material will fall through openings 78 during and aftersuch movement of the head 13. If

desired, the openings 78 may be provided with valves of suitable form(e.g., flap, cylinder, etc.) which may be manually or otherwiseoperated.

By reason of the filter 91 at the bottom of the charged containersagainst which the material forced into the container will compact, therewill be no escape of such material through the filter when thecontainers are removed from the mold. Thereupon the bottom and top flapsof the container may be sealed in conventional manner to close thecontainer to complete the package.

The embodiment of the receptacle 20' shown in FIG. 8 is a cup-shapedcontainer, illustratively a truncated cone. The mouth 101 of thecontainer 20 desirably has a lip 102 to receive a conventional coverdisc (not shown). The base of the container 20 has a screen 103extending thereacross which may alsobe of porous paper such as ispreviously described.

The container 20' may be filled with pulverulent material by meanssimilar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and after it is filled andremoved from the molding equipment the undersurface of the screen 103may be covered with wax or lacquer to fill up the pores in the screenor, if desired, a snap-in cover may be inserted onto the bottom of thecontainer 20 so that when a cover disc is inserted into the mouth of thecontainer 20' it will be completely closed for shipping.

At least a portion of the material of the container is preferably madeof infusion or filter paper now commonly used, for example, in tea bagsand the like. These papers may carry on at least a portion of theirsurface thermoplastic fibers or coatings to facilitate heat sealingthereof while at the same time permitting a high rate of passage of airtherethrough. For example, in one form of such paper using only oneounce differential pressure, the paper passes 93 cubic inches per secondper square inch of effective filter area. At this rate, a container of 9cubic inches capacity can be effectively evacuated in a small fractionof a second through an area of paper of only 1 square inch.

By reason of the compacting of the nonform-retaining material, a givenweight of material will occupy a considerably smaller volume than acorresponding non-compacted weight of the same material. Thus, forcertain pulverulent materials compacted at a pressure of 100 p.s.i., forexample, the volume of the package may be approximately sixty percent ofthe volume of an equivalent weight of non-compacted material.Consequently, the amount of shelf space to store and display thepackages is greatly reduced as is the quantity of material to form thecontainer.

In addition, as interstitial spaces are reduced to a minimum and asthere is substantially no head space, there will be little air with itsentrained Water vapor in the completed package which gives increasedflexibility in the type and formulation of materials than can bepackaged.

As many changes could be made in the above method, equipment andarticles, and many apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims,it is intended that all matter contained in the above description orshown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted. as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. A container for small particles of material comprising a'receptaclehaving. a wall portion and a bottom portion of substantially gasimpermeable material and a mouth at the top thereof and a gas permeablefilter member in said bottom portion opposed to said mouth, said filtermember having openings of a size to permit only the passage of gastherethrough while precluding the passage of the pulverulent materialand closure means at the top and bottom portion of the receptacle forclosing said container upon the filling thereof with material.

2. A container for pulverulent material comprising a substantiallyrectangular receptacle having side flaps at the bottom thereof and a gaspermeable filter member across such bottom secured to said side flaps,said filter member having relatively fine openings therethrough of asize ,to permit only the passage of gas therethrough while precludingthe passage of the pulverulent material.

3. A container for pulverulent mate-rial comprising a substantiallyrectangular receptacle having side and end flaps at the bottom thereof,said end flaps being folded inwardly with a gap between their free ends,a gas permeable filter member secured to said side flaps, extendingacross the bottom of said receptacle and bridging said gap, said filtermember having relatively fine openings therethrough of a size to permitonly the passage of gas therethrough while precluding the passage of thepulverulent material.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said filter member isof porous paper.

5. A sealable receptacle particularly adapted to be filled withpulverulent material under the influence of a gaseous medium, saidreceptacle comprising a side wall portion, a bottom portion and an openmouth, means for sealing said month, said receptacle portions beingformed of a substantially gas impermeable material, one of saidsubstantially gas impermeable portions having an opening through saidone portion for the free passage of gas from within the receptacleduring the filling thereof, and filter means closing said openingagainst the passage of pulverulent material and simultaneouslypermitting free passage of gas therethrough, and closure means at thebottom portion of the receptacle for closing said receptacle upon thefilling thereof with material.

6. A sealable receptacle particularly adapted to be filled withpulverulent material under the influence of a gaseous'medium, saidreceptacle comprising substantially gas impermeable wall portionsdefining a sealable cavity having an open mouth for the purpose offilling said cavity and an opening other than said mouth for the freepassage of gas from within said receptacle to the exterior, and a filtermember permanently secured to said wall portion surrounding said openingfor closing said opening against the passage of pulverulent materialduring a filling operation and simultaneously permitting free passage ofthe gaseous medium therethrough and closure means for closing saidopening and said mouth upon the filling of said receptacle withmaterial.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is substantiallycircular in cross section.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is substantiallycircular in cross section and the closure means at the bottom portion ofthe receptacle is in the form of a coating of substantially non-porousmaterial filling the pores in said filter member.

9. The container of claim 8 wherein the coating is in the form of a wax.

10. The container of claim 8 wherein the coating is in the form of alacquer.

(References on following page) Robson 229-:43" Ortner.

Marshall.

Rosrnait 229'-62.5 Carter et a1. 2296 Osterdahl.

8 Heritage. Pauley. De La Foret 2296 Seck.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, WESLEY S. COLE,

Examiners.

1. A CONTAINER FOR SMALL PARTICLES OF MATERIAL COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING A WALL PORTION AND A BOTTOM PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY GAS IMPERMEABLE MATERIAL AND A MOUTH AT THE TOP THEREOF AND A GAS PERMEABLE FILTER MEMBER IN SAID BOTTOM PORTION OPPOSED TO SAID MOUTH, SAID FILTER MEMBER HAVING OPENINGS OF A SIZE TO PERMIT ONLY THE PASSAGE OF GAS THERETHROUGH WHILE PRECLUDING THE PASSAGE OF THE PULVERULENT MATERIAL AND CLOSURE MEANS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM PORTION OF THE RECEPTACLE FOR CLOSING SAID CONTAINER UPON THE FILLING THEREOF WITH MATERIAL. 